Joy Hansen
12-22-2009, 07:38 AM
Hi Pards,
Here I sit on this Tuesday morning with ice in the boat, a calm wind, no one to fish with, COWs on the bite at Kiptopeke, and sad that I'm packing to return to my homestead. Of course I'm dragging my feet, but who wouldn't if only . . . I had one more chance at Bubba!
BISC taught me a lot this year about fishing Kiptopeke, almost enough to write my own book. Surprised that how-to fishing here is so different from Rudow's "Guide to Rockfish" and the sections written about eeling near the CBBT. Well, the CBBT is a world of it's own. But, certainly Latimer Shoal and the full length of the Beach Canal from near the CBBT, past the concrete ships and NW to the Yellow can is a unique fishery. Rudrow's sinker bouncing on the bottom resulted in 90% shark hook-ups. :( Those COWs might be down there, but that's not where they dine!
Always something unique and memorable with adventures, and this one was no different. On one drift, we got mixed in with some crab trap buoys and several lines were entangled with one trap. Surprising how they suddenly pop up in the middle of a bait array. Tried to break the two lines off, but no go when suddenly one rod jumped out of the rod holder and down it went in 70 feet of water. Tried to motor back to the crab trap buoy while winding in line. Before the crab trap, the outboard was acting strange and overheating. At the crab trap, I missed the buoy and floats with the net, yet one hook suddenly appeared in the net? Raised the motor to see what the problem was and with it came the rod that went over the side? The line that stopped the motor was clear white and the lost rod line was green. So, saved the rod and reel, but we were stranded miles from the launch.
Tried the TM to head toward the launch, but it wouldn't cooperate. Seemed that it decided to croak days earlier and the batteries were toast this day. A BISC member responded to the call for help and towed the boat to the launch. Whew, low tide and the storm of several weeks earlier filled the ramp with sand. Luckily the trailer was deep enough and many hands were able to pull the boat over the sand to the trailer. Cranked the boat to the bow stop and . . . couldn't get up the ramp due to the depth of the sand. Took 4X4 to slowly get the job done.
In the parking lot, it took about 5 minutes to cut the line and get the prop spinning free. Another few mintues to verify that the line handn't made it to the lower unit seal.
Everyone took the events in stride and BISC returned to the water and as I understand slayed the PIGs and a few COWs all afternoon, some boating up to 20 with CPR.
Seemed like every day the line of boats to the launch got longer and that there couldn't possibly be another parking space left. But everyone seemed to get out. Of course, the loading of boats over the sand bar delayed many, but few lost temper and accepted what had to be.
Fortunately, the Kiptopeke Park contracted to have the launch ramp cleared of sand and the facility only got better as the days wore on. The fishing got better too.
My brother came out from Kansas and joined me for a week. Had one double with one being a CPR citation for his memorbilia of this trip. A friend from BISC joined me and got his Bubba size COW! :)
Then in these last days of this adventure, the recent high West winds, snow, freeze, etc. all combined to dirty the water horribly and the COWs just sat on the bottom with no interest in gulping eels.
And so ends my first near month long COW chasing at Kiptopeke. As I pack to return to the homestead, I do so with sadness and lots of good memories.
God willing, I'll do it again next year.
Tight lines All, JTB
P.S. Merry Xmas and Happy New Year to all.
Here I sit on this Tuesday morning with ice in the boat, a calm wind, no one to fish with, COWs on the bite at Kiptopeke, and sad that I'm packing to return to my homestead. Of course I'm dragging my feet, but who wouldn't if only . . . I had one more chance at Bubba!
BISC taught me a lot this year about fishing Kiptopeke, almost enough to write my own book. Surprised that how-to fishing here is so different from Rudow's "Guide to Rockfish" and the sections written about eeling near the CBBT. Well, the CBBT is a world of it's own. But, certainly Latimer Shoal and the full length of the Beach Canal from near the CBBT, past the concrete ships and NW to the Yellow can is a unique fishery. Rudrow's sinker bouncing on the bottom resulted in 90% shark hook-ups. :( Those COWs might be down there, but that's not where they dine!
Always something unique and memorable with adventures, and this one was no different. On one drift, we got mixed in with some crab trap buoys and several lines were entangled with one trap. Surprising how they suddenly pop up in the middle of a bait array. Tried to break the two lines off, but no go when suddenly one rod jumped out of the rod holder and down it went in 70 feet of water. Tried to motor back to the crab trap buoy while winding in line. Before the crab trap, the outboard was acting strange and overheating. At the crab trap, I missed the buoy and floats with the net, yet one hook suddenly appeared in the net? Raised the motor to see what the problem was and with it came the rod that went over the side? The line that stopped the motor was clear white and the lost rod line was green. So, saved the rod and reel, but we were stranded miles from the launch.
Tried the TM to head toward the launch, but it wouldn't cooperate. Seemed that it decided to croak days earlier and the batteries were toast this day. A BISC member responded to the call for help and towed the boat to the launch. Whew, low tide and the storm of several weeks earlier filled the ramp with sand. Luckily the trailer was deep enough and many hands were able to pull the boat over the sand to the trailer. Cranked the boat to the bow stop and . . . couldn't get up the ramp due to the depth of the sand. Took 4X4 to slowly get the job done.
In the parking lot, it took about 5 minutes to cut the line and get the prop spinning free. Another few mintues to verify that the line handn't made it to the lower unit seal.
Everyone took the events in stride and BISC returned to the water and as I understand slayed the PIGs and a few COWs all afternoon, some boating up to 20 with CPR.
Seemed like every day the line of boats to the launch got longer and that there couldn't possibly be another parking space left. But everyone seemed to get out. Of course, the loading of boats over the sand bar delayed many, but few lost temper and accepted what had to be.
Fortunately, the Kiptopeke Park contracted to have the launch ramp cleared of sand and the facility only got better as the days wore on. The fishing got better too.
My brother came out from Kansas and joined me for a week. Had one double with one being a CPR citation for his memorbilia of this trip. A friend from BISC joined me and got his Bubba size COW! :)
Then in these last days of this adventure, the recent high West winds, snow, freeze, etc. all combined to dirty the water horribly and the COWs just sat on the bottom with no interest in gulping eels.
And so ends my first near month long COW chasing at Kiptopeke. As I pack to return to the homestead, I do so with sadness and lots of good memories.
God willing, I'll do it again next year.
Tight lines All, JTB
P.S. Merry Xmas and Happy New Year to all.